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Friday, October 24, 2008

Golden Brown Brussels Sprouts

"Not until you eat your brussels sprouts!!"

It's the classic motherly refrain, isn't it? Well, it wasn't when I was growing up. I'd never tried them in fact until about 5 years ago but couldn't remember ever hearing of anyone who enjoyed them! That first introduction left me lukewarm. They were steamed and not particularly flavorful but I couldn't find anything inherently disgusting about them. Fast forward five years to the discovery of this recipe. I could eat them prepared this way every night if need be. Then again, parmesan cheese makes everything better!

Heat 1 tbps olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.